During
Jéquier's excavations in South Saqqara focused his attention on the
small ruins, about three meters high, that the
Lepsius expedition had given number 40 on its archeological map.
Jéquier's excavations have also shown that older tombs from VIth Dynasty
are located in this place. The pyramid was always completely destroyed
by stone thieves. On the limestone blocks of its core were found a large
number of inscriptions crudely written in red color with the title Prince of Libya. The underground part of the pyramidconsisted of a
descending corridor, a burial chamber, and a serdab. The walls of the
burial chamber were oryginally covered with pyramids texts. This texts
was possible to determine that the pyramid belonged to the ruler Qakare
Ibi from VIIIth Dynasty. This is a last pyramid built in
Saqqara.
More...>>>

Its
not clear whether this structure is a pyramid or stepped mastaba. The
north-south oriented structure has an almost square ground plan, and its
substructure somewhat resembles that of a large brick mastaba from the
IIIrd Dynasty in Beit Khallaf. The underground of the
structure is reached from the north by a long passageway that is first
horizontal and open and then becomes a descending, vaulted tunnel
leading to the burial chamber. The burial chamber's walls were sheated
with roughly dressed limestone blocks. In the tomb itself nothing was
discovered that might have helped identify to whom it belonged. However,
a cartouche with the name of
Khui, local ruler
VIIIth Dynasty, was found in one of the nearby tombs.

The
construction of the tomb complex , which went through three or four
phases, consists of valley temple, whose ruins now lie under the fields
and gardens at the edge of the Nile Valley, a longe causeway, the
stepped , terraced mortuary temple, whosewestern
part is cut into the rock, and an underground burial chamber. The middle
terrace had three parts. The latter consisted of two rows of limestone
pillars. the entrance into the limestone ambulatory was on the east wing
of the pillared hall and was located on the main axis of the structure
as a whole. On the west side on the middle terrace there was originally
a row of six shaft tombs cut into the rock subsoil. The underground part
consisted of chapels built of limestone blocks, with false doors and
cult statues. Queens and princesses were buried there, evidently members
of Mentuhotep's family. The structure on the upper terrace was almost
completly destroyed, and its architecture is still a subject of debate.
Naville, who was the first archeologist to investigate Mentuhotep's tomb
complex, reconstructed the original monument as a pyramid, which was
built on the previously mentioned rock subsoil.
Arnold rejected this interpretation. He suggested that it was a
structure with a more or less rectangular ground plan and a flat
roof terrace.

This
pyramid was named Cult places of Amenemhat's appearence. Only
ruins about twenty meters high remains. The entrance ino the underground
part of pyramid was located in the middle of the north wall, at ground
level. Over the entrance stood the north chapel, behind a granite false
door, a corridor that gradually descended to the burial chamber. The
corridor was lined with pink granite and sealed with blocks of the same
material. It came in a square chamber that lay on the pyramid's vertical
axis.In its floor opened a vertical shaft that led to the burial
chamber. The mortuary temple on the east side of the pyramid had its
own, different name: High [rises up] Amenemhat's beauty. Of this
temple, measuring 21 x 32 m and oriented east-west, almost nothing
remains. The pyramid and a mortuary temple was surrounded by two
perimeter walls. In the area between them, the tombs of members of the
royal family and courties were discovered. G.Maspero noted that stone
blocks from older royal tomb (Khufru, Khafre, Unas and Pepi II)
complexes had been used in its construction.

Senweseret
I erected his pyramid in el-Lisht, about 1.5 kilometers south of
Amenemhat I's. It was called Senweseret looks down on both lands.
Limestone from the nearby quarries was the chief material used. A stone
masonry framework supported the core, which rested on a foundation
platform of stone blocks. The empty space inside the framework was
filled with fragments of limestone, sand, and waste material from the
construction site. The casing of blocks of fine whiote limestone was
firmly anchored in a flat trench dyg around the pyramid's base. The
entrance to the underground part of the pyramid was in the pavement of
the courtyard, in front of the middle of the pyramid's north side. A
descending corridor, at the entrance was sheated in granite, and the
barriers of onormous blocks of the same stone, weighting as much as 20
tons, is till there. Arnold estimates that the burial chamber lay
about 24 meters under ground level. The
pyramid was surrounded by an inner perimeter wall, which build of
limestone blocks. It was absolutly inique. On its inner side, at
intervals of five meters, there were narrow panels decorated with images
in bas-relief. Somewhat farther away was the outer perimeter wall, which
surrounded the tombs of the members of the royal family as well. More...>>>

The
small cult pyramid, the last to be erected in a royal tomb complex,
stood at the southeast corner of the pyramid. The cult pyramid was
plundered in antiquity and destroyed by stone thieves. It is most
complicated , with two subterranean chambers and evidence of two or
three phases of construction. More...>>>

86

Queen
Neferu I's Pyramidel-Lisht

base: 21 m
slope: 62.5o
height: 18.9 m
perimeter wall: 52.5 x 39.37 m

The
shaft in the center of the north side leads to a gently descending
corridor paved with limestone. The corridor in tern leads to a chamber,
lined with limestone, under the center of the pyramid. There was a hole
for the sarcophagus and an unfinished niche for the canopic chest within
this chamber, but the chamber appears to have never been finished, or
used for a burial. More...>>>

Thirty
two fragments of
sided column inscribed with name of queen Itakaiet that was found within
the ruins. The burial chamber in this pyramid was really only an
extension of the entrance corridor, sealed with mortared limestone
slabs. It is also questionable whether a burial took place in this
pyramid as well, for there was no sarcophagus found within, and no
visible hole large enough for thieves to have stolen it. More...>>>

88-94

Unidentified
Pyramids in
Senweseret I's complexel-Lisht

Seven
unidentified funrary complexes discovered on area between walls
surrounding the pyramid of Senuseret I. These pyramids belonged to
memebers of royal family. Each of them posessed its own mortuary temple,
funerary shaft and surroundin wall.More...>>>

The
pyramid, probably called Amenemhat is Prepared, stand in the old
royal cementery in Dahshur, east of the Red Pyramid of Snefru. Now,
local people call it White Pyramid, maybe connected with the
framework of its core made of white limestone blocks. The complex -
Amenemhat is Provided for. The entrance to the underground chambers
was in the middle of the pyramid's north side and hidden by the
north chapel. Through it one reached a descending corridor built of
limestone blocks. Over the flat ceiling there was another gabled ceiling
made of limestone slabs lined one against the other, in order to divert
the pressure bearing on the corridor from above. At its lower end, the
corridor became horizontal and came out in the burial chamber, which was
located on the pyramid's vertical axis. Not far in front of it was a
barrier made of two vertical granite slabs. A quartize sarcophagus stood
on the west wall.

Core
of this pyramid was build of mudbricks, with a framework of stone
masonry. The builders used a rock outcropping to anchor the core and to
make construction quicker and cheaper.
Petrie was found only a few fragments of black granite pyramidion.
The substructure of Senweseret II's pyramid, with the whole system of
shafts, chambers, and passageways surrounding the burial chamber, thus
remains one of a labyrinth. The burial chamber, which was oriented
east-west, consisted of the vaulted ceiling of granite blocks and the
masterfully worked sarcophagus, which stood on the west wall. The
relatively small mortuary temple stood before the east side of the
pyramid and was almost completely destroyed.
The pyramid, the mortuary temple and the tombs of members of the
royal family were surrounded by a perimeter wall along which trees were
planted.The valley temple was located relatively
far from the pyramid, with which it was probably not, according to
Arnold, directly connected.
More...>>>

97

Queen's Pyramid in complex of
Senweseret IIel-Lahun

length of sides of
base:27.6 mheight: 18 m

This
small pyramid stood near the northeast corner of king tomb. It is
belonging to the queen, and its location seems to
contradict cult destination of this structure.
W.F.Petrie discovered foundation deposits, he never found a single
passage or chamber beneath the pyramid, despite exploring it with
tunnels and a deep vertical shaft. He did uncover the remains of a
chapel at the north side. Part of a name of a vase is only evidence that
the pyramid belonged to a queen.

The
core of pyramid was made of mudbricks, but it no longer had a stone
masonry framework and covering the casing of white limestone. J.de
Morgan had great difficulty finding the entrance to the pyramid, because
the north chapel was once conceived in a way intended to confuse
potential grave robbers. The burial chamber did not lie on the pyramid's
vertical axis, but northwest of it.The walls of
the granite chamber were finished with a thin layer of white stucco. On
the west wall of the chamber stood a marvelous granite sarcophagus,
whose fifteen niches probably represented stylized gateways. J.Wagner,
M.Lehner and other, expressed the view that Senweseret III was not
necessarily buried in the pyramid in Dahshur, but in his large and
funerary complex in Abydos. North of the pyramid J.de Morgan discovered
princesses' tombs arranged in two galleries of unequal height..
All complex is oriented north-south.
More...>>>

99-105

Queen's and Princesses Pyramids in
kompleks of Senweseret IIIDahshur

Seven
small pyramids located on the north (four) and south (three) from
Senweseret III's pyramid, and arranged in two galleries of
unequal height, were discovered by J.de Morgan.
It was tombs of princesses Sithathor, Ment, Merit i Senet-senebti and
queen Weret. In the hidden place in the lower gallery de Morgan
found splendid jewelry as well as other items from the burial equipment
of princess' Sithathor. This
equipment
was containing 333 pieces of her treasure. A gold
pectoral spelled the name of Senweseret II and a scarab was inscribed
with that of Senweseret III. The next day he found another treasure,
belonging to Princess Merit, which containing many of the same elements
as Sithathor's but was even more extensive. In 1994 the shaft of tomb 9
was discovered. A tunnel leads to an antechamber, burial chamber and
canopic chamber actually under the southwest corner of the king's
pyramid. A granite sarcophagus fills the west end of the burial
chamber, the floor of which was littered with pottery, wood, a few
alabaster fragments and scattered bones. The name Weret, was found on a
canopic jar and an inscribed board. In 1997 D.Arnold's investigations
uncovered evidence that the seven superstructure bases north and south
of the pyramid in its inner enclosure belonged in fact to small pyramids
and not mastabas, as had previously been thought.
More...>>>

A builder's graffoto from Amenemhat III's
pyramid in Dahshur casing dates to year 2, suggestet that he began his
pyramid as early as the firs year of his reign. Only an unprepossessing
dark grey ruin remains, which local people named "Black Pyramid". The
core was made of mudebricks and it lacked the stabilizing stone
framework. The apex of the pyramid was crowned by a beautiful dark
gray granite pyramidion that was originally about 1.3 m high. The
pyramid substructure is articulated in a relatively complicated way and
differs significantly from that of early XII Dynasty pyramids. It
consists of two parts, of which one belonged to the ruler and the other
to his two consorts. The two parts were connected by a corridor. The
entrance into the ruler's tomb was an east, at the level of the lowest
foundation layer, near the southeast corner of the pyramid. A stairway
led to the entrance corridor and then into a whole system of
passageways, shafts, barriers and chambers that werew sheated in
limestone and were located at varying levels. About twenty meters from
the entrance, it turned to the north toward the royal burial chamber. At
the turning point, another corridor coming from the queen's burial
chamber entered from the west. On the west wall of king's burial
chamber, stood a pink granite sarcophagus with a voulted top and niches.
Whereas the system of chambers and passageways of the ruler's tomb lay
under the east half of the pyramid. The two entrances are virtually
mirror images of each other. he pyramid in Dahshur was completed in
about the 15 year of the ruler's reign and was probably abandoned soon
thereafter. More...>>>

The
pyramid was built with mudbrick core and a casing of fine white
limestone. The
entrance into the substructure was placed directly in the casing,
on the south side of the pyramid. There are descending corridor with a
stairway led north. It was sheated with limestone and provided
with barriers, and underground it turned several times around the
pyramid's axis before finally reaching the burial chamber. The burial
chamber was dug a rectangular hole in the rock subsoil, lined it with
limestone blocks, and thus formed the side walls of the burial chamber.
Over the flat ceiling composed of limestone monoliths rose a saddle
vault of enormous limestone monoliths weighing more than fifty tons, and
over them, another massive brick vault about seven meters high.
We are not the certain of the name of Amenemhat III's Hawara pyramid.
Rock inscription in the Wadi Hammamat speak of statues quarried for
building named "Amenemhat-Ankh". More...>>>

A poorly known pyramid south of Amenemhat II
may belong to this period. Fragments of limestone reliefs and the track
of a causeway leading eastward suggest some degree of completion. A
fragment bearing the royal name Amenemhat coud be derived from
Amenemhat II's complex, or possibly belong to Amenemhat IV. The site was
badly damaged by digging for the petroleum pipeline in 1975.

Mazghuna
is small Arab village between Dahshur and
el-Lisht. Pyramid was called South Pyramid in Mazghuna start built king
Amenemhat III and finished his son, Amenemhat IV. However some
Egyptologists date the pyramid to the XIII Dynasty. Whereas the
mudbrick core can still be discerned, no trace of the limestone casing
has been found. The inclination of the wall and the height of the
pyramid thus remain unknown. The entrance to the underground part of the
pyramid was in the middle of the south side. A descending corridor led
down a staircase and was blocked at three points; it eventyally came out
in the burial chamber, located on the pyramid's vertical axis. The
structure of the ceiling was probably reinforced by a saddle vault of
limestone blocks.

The
North Pyramid is attributted solely on the grounds of a few bits of
structural and archeological evidence to queen Sobekneferure. This
pyramid is larger than the South Pyramid and the plan of the
substructure is more advenced from a typological point of view. The
access corridor, with a descending stairway, made several turns and was
blocked at two places. The sarcophagus was once again a huge quartize
monolith. Although the pyramid's substructure was completed, no one was
buried in it. Moreover, neither the pyramid's superstructure nor the
complex as a whole was ever finished.

This
pyramid was discovered in 1957 by American expedidion. The
superstructure has been almost completely destroyed, so that one can
only estimate that the length of its sides was about fifty meters. Its
substructure is much better known. The entrance into the underground
part of the pyramid was in front of the east side. Before arriving at
the burial chamber, the corridor turned three times and had a staircase
and a barrier. The burial chamber lay almost exactly on the pyramid's
vertical axis and once again consisted of an enormous quartize monolith.

Pyramid
of Khendjer was discovered Jequier in 1929, during his excavations in
South Saqqara, sotheast of the Shepseskaf's mastaba. The mudbrick core
was covered with an outer mantle of limestone blocks. A pyramidion
bearing inscriptions has been reconstructed from many fragments. The
substructure was entered at the foot of the west wall, near the
pyramid's southwest corner. The access corridor was a descending ramp,
in the middle of which was a stairway. Underground it changed in level
four times and wound around under the middle of the pyramid before
coming out in the burial chamber. The burial chamber was made of a huge
quartize monolith and its ceiling consisted of two additional quartize
blocks. The mortuary temple. which was later almost completely
destroyed, stood before the pyramid's east side. The inner perimeter
wall was made of limestone blocks, and its outside was decorated with
niches. The outer perimeter wall was made od mudbricks.

113

Queens Pyramid in complex of
Khendjer South Saqqara

This
small pyramid stood in the northeast corner of the outer perimeter wall.
Its mode of construction corresponded to that of the king's pyramid. In
its substructure, into which a stairway led from the west, were the
burial chambers of two of Khendjer's consorts.

Possesor
of this pyramid, which stood southwest of Khendjer's tomb is unknown,
maybe Ai I (?) from XIII Dynasty. The mudbrick core of its
superstructure was not completed. Regular rows of black-painted stripes
decorate the white limestone walls of almost every room in the
substructure. Around the pyramid ran an undulating perimeter wall built
of mudbricks.
The entrance to the pyramid was on its axis, at the
foot of east wall. A descending staircase led to a long horizontal
corridor with three plugging blocks, which turned three times before
coming out in the antechamber in front of two burials chambers. The
king's chamber, the larger, was west of the antechamber, the queen's
chamber north of it.

This
small complex of mudbricks buildings were discovered by H.Winlock in the
1930s. The complex included a small pyramid with
the small mortuary temple on its east side, together with a perimeter
wall. The underground has not yet been investigated. The pyramid is
attributed to the first ruler of XVIII Dynasty, Ahmose I and sometimes
to his brother and predecessor Kamose.

The
core of the pyramid was composed of loose stone and sand.
Two intact courses of casing stone survived at the eastern base when
explored by Arthur Mace at the turn of the century, from which he
estimated its angle as 60o. He dug a tunnel from the north
side into centre of the pyramid without finding any chambers. This tomb
was been cenotaph and Ahmose I was probably buried in pyramid at the
southern end of Dra Abu el-Naga.